Vengeful
by Ghost Guardian
Summary: Ava and Wrathia make a pact five years earlier. Of course, there has to be allotted changes to the timeline this way.
1. spider web

The bedroom that was 'Ava's', a foster home, really, was quite cold and empty. It was simply quite dark and ominous looking.

If not for the glowing, malestrom of fire and light floating in the middle of her tiny room, visible to only herself.

The smoke wreathed around her head. The spirit, demon, whatever, twirled her hair around a sharply clawed nail, breathing out smoke in shapes of hearts and crescent moons and the stars, the smoke ringing itself into galaxies and shapes only the liquid form of vapor could produce.

Ava stared.

"Erm..." She called, her small, tiny hand reaching out to the magma woman, still chubby with slight baby fat, trying to grab her hand. "Why are you here?"

The demon smiled and turned herself to face the little child. "A tiny child asking me, an empress, why I'm here? You've never bothered to talk to me before, you stupid little brat."

Ava frowned, her cheeks tightening with the grimace. "Urgh. I've had you with me since I was born, I just..."

"You just what?" The spirit grinned, the smoke shaped crescents, once looking soft and pristine, now looking sharp and jagged looped in the air. "You what?"

Snarling, Ava knocked her lamp off her small nightstand, her eyes flashing with a magma colour and her brows furrowing with fury which sat deep within her. "I want to know why you attached yourself to me and who you are! You just try to hurt me and kill me off, I want to know why!

The demon's face sobered into a neutral, angular face that snapped into the regal empress look that she claimed to have.

"Fine. Everyone who worshipped me called me a saviour and their empress, but you may have the everlasting privilege of calling me by my real name-"

"Wrathia Bellarmina." Ava quietly murmured.

Wrathia's body suddenly glimmered with the force of a sun, anger beneath the surface growing white-hot with the vengess' firey temper.

"Do not interrupt me, you impudent little idiot! Like I have mentioned time and time before, I'm an empress, who should not have to stoop to these heights! How do you even know my name?!"

Ava curled her hands in her sheets, tightening them with whitening knuckles and a heavy heartbeat echoing in her ears. This was one of the few times where Wrathia had gotten this angry, and it was a day with her violent mood swings.

"You.. you've said you name to yourself when you talk... you talk to yourself... to help? I.."

The magma glow minimized, and the jagged, angry stars and moons faded into something lighter and softer.

"I see. Am I permitted by your lowly self," Wrathia drawled, her goat-like eyes roving across the room, relaxing into a dormant state. "To continue my tale?"

Ava nodded silently.

"Well then..." Wrathia breathed, blowing some dark smoke off the palm of her hand, smoky shapes rising into the shape of a landscape, buildings and wires and a sunset so lovely it was breathtaking.

"I was once the empress of multiple galaxies, a perfect kingdom in all terms, and I was one of the most powerful creatures in the universe. "

"As was my husband, Pedri." The vengess smoothed the smoke into a shape of her husband, lovingly making it so that a visage of her husband floated gently in the air, raising its arm in greeting, the skull on his head shifting to the side so a gentle smile could be seen, dragonflies of purple whispering through the air and kissing Wrathia's hands and fingers.

"We were almost unstoppable."

Ava was furrowing her brows. Where was this whole spiel leading?

"It was a day when the two suns had risen and the universe seemed right and good, for once. I was sitting upon the throne, with my heir in my arms, chatting quietly to my husband."

"An heir?" Ava had blurted out before she could stop herself. "A child?"

Wrathia snarled with badly hidden anger, smoke rising from cracks in her skin before all the magma cooled off.

Lovingly, caringly, all the emotions Wrathia has not once shown Ava, she forms an egg shape out of smoke. There is a moon and a heart shape embedded in its shell, molten cracks of gold amongst royal purple, a pulse of a heartbeat echoing in the golden light.

"My egg. Not yet borne of light and valour, but something even newer and lovelier to me." Wrathia whispered, the smoke dispersing into the air before the demon continues her tale.

"That day we had been given word of a creature who had taken all of our galaxies hostage in a single night. The so called 'god', TiTan. He ordered us to surrender or he would destroy all of our subjects and all we had created. He wanted our power."

Ava listened with rapt attention, the smoke shapes of Wrathia and Pedri arguing over how to save their empire.

"I was absolutely livid with the very idea of surrendering to that awful thing. But there was no other choice."

"My husband had said something alarming while I was in a rage..."

The smoke shape of Pedri murmured in his soft, dulcet tones, "Be smart... Surrendering may not guarantee our survival."

The sheets under Ava rustled as she clambered out of her sheets, her nightgown fluttering to rest by her knees as she sat. Scars on her arms visible in the low light.

"I came up with a plan." Wrathia simpered, her face transforming into a rather horrifying sneer, her goat-like eyes narrowing. "If we could not claim victory in life..."

"We could claim victory in death. I brewed poison wine, with the intent, to attach our souls to the next being that immediately came to life, once we drank it."

The sneer adorning the face of Wrathia fell into something almost regretful.

"I brewed one for all the most powerful emperors in my army, so we could all take back our homelands. My plan was to possess something stronger than myself, and hopefully get my revenge with all of my army and people by my side."

Ava's eyes grew wider as the smoke turned into a battlefield filled with blue lights crashing into the buildings which once looked so lovely. TiTan and Pedri and Wrathia stood, facing each other in a duel, not a physical one, but one of who would back down first.

"As we planned our fates, TiTan grew impatient. We stood, gave him his share of wine, and poisoned ours."

The smoke shapes suddenly looked hazier than normal.

"I don't know if Pedri tried to fight or... if he drank it after me.. but all I remember is feeling weak... and small."

"And you got stuck with me." Ava said smoothly, despite her fear of Wrathia getting angry again.

Surprisingly, Wrathia did not get mad. She simply sighed and waved her hand through the smoke, making another scene form.

"I was furious. I was attached to you, something so weak and small compared to my race."

Smoke visages of failed attempts to unnerve Ava, images of knives and lava and red crayon scribbles.

"I tried so hard to get you to form a pact, and yet, you, a tiny, stupid little brat with no notable will or power, resist my every move."

"You keep mentioning a pact!" Ava snapped, fed up with all the insults and disgusted looks Wrathia kept throwing her as she grew older. "What the heck do you mean by a pact?!"

Wrathia's face suddenly glowed with joy or maybe irritation, and she quickly summoned an image of two souls, resembling herself and Ava.

"A pact is when the possessed and host soul have a deep and desperate desire. They can combine to fulfill this pact, combine their minds and powers."

Two half hearts glimmered in the open air. One pink, one a desperately pulsing orange.

"When it is fulfilled, both souls separate and live on in different bodies as nature had intended." The dusky two tone heart split in half, before disappearing.

Ava's mind was whirling, half formed thoughts and dreams spinning wildly. They could become reality, she thought, oh gods, they could be real-

"I want to make a pact." She had blurted out. Ava slapped her hands across her face, surprise written on her face at her own idiocy.

Wrathia grinned widely. "Good. What do you want out of this pact, little Ava Ire?"

What.. Ava wanted? This was the first time she had been asked this. No one wanted her. No one really cared for her, aside from the foster parent she lived with right now, and even then, their guardian was emotionally distant, as they had only gotten Ava to seem caring.

What did Ava want?

"Tick tock, Ava. The clock is metaphorically ticking down to zero. Hurry up, you're wasting my time." Wrathia had drawled, examining her nails in fake interest.

"I want the universe to know my name." The whisper was so small, and yet, it encompassed the entire space between the two.

"Then it will be so."

ooo

Ava has to kill herself before she can make this work.

The knife in her hands is so, so deadly looking all of a sudden, and she wishes that she hadn't promised.

"Ava, what is taking so long? Surely even someone as puny and weak as yourself should be able to do this." Wrathia is hissing, her hands clenching and unclenching with anger. (Ava knows that Wrathia is trying to retain her composure. It isn't working.)

"You're asking a ten year old child to kill themselves." Ava murmured, lowering the knife so she could look at her hands. "This isn't easy."

"Do you want me to do it for you?" Wrathia groaned in annoyance, twisting her body so she could glare at Ava.

Ava remained silent.

"Oh, for all the crying Covetesses-" Wrathia snarled, grabbing hold of Ava's arms and thrusting the knife into Ava's chest.

A spatter of blood reached the floor before Ava's body could, and suddenly Ava was bleeding out on the floor.

Of course, her soul was watching this from a foot above her body.

"I'm dead?!" Ava screeched, slapping her hands over gossamer transparent cheeks.

"No, you idiot. You're almost dead. Now, we have to complete the first stage of the pact before your soul turns into stardust and I get reborn." Wrathia impatiently explained, putting her hand out for Ava to grab.

Ava grabbed the demon's hand quickly before the snappy, angry demon could get even more tempermental.

Suddenly lights shaped like little suns and swirling, cryptic markings lit up both of their spectres and Wrathia was grinning widely, all of her fangs bared in a horrific show of absolute joy.

"W-Wait- before we- before we do this- is there any- anything I should know about?!"

Wrathia looked momentarily stunned before she grinned again, blood draining out through her teeth.

"Don't worry!" She cooed, wrapping her arms around Ava's middle, both of their forms starting to melt. "I won't let anything happen to you!"

Blobs of otherworldly flesh melted into each other, fusing into a dusky orange, patterns of gold light snaking their way across Ava's eyesight.

As strange as it sounded, Ava couldn't really think. She was drifting, feeling her body melt into Wrathia's. It felt good.

And then the pain snapped into reality as their now conjoined soul drifted back into Ava's body.

They screamed.

* * *

 _Chapter End._


	2. fairy lights

**a/n: hey ava's nonbinary now sorry i dont make the rules (wait im the author)**

* * *

Their head swam with all the words, the berating they had been forced to swallow after their 'suicide attempt'.

The pact was complete.

Ava can't feel anything but the bandages and the smoky thoughts drifting through their head, as though Wrathia is making her dragon's nest in her skull.

Ava can't really refer to their body or mind as female anymore, since they have two people merged into one soul. It's hard to come to terms with this sudden change, but it's not really so bad.

Being sent to therapy isn't as good.

Unfortunately, there really isn't much they can do about it.

It's nighttime again, and Ava stares up at the ceiling with an empty heart. After their attempt at death, their temporary foster parent had dumped them in the school permanently.

Asshole.

Sleeping comes like waves, lapping in and out along with their conscious state. It's simple, and Ava drifts...

.. right into another place.

It's dim and dreary, but there are some fairy lights strung here and there, as though this place isn't truly dark yet. Drawers make up the majority of the haphazard walls, creaking ominously and promising death to all those who get too close.

Ava glances at the hazy purple smoke, and they follow it. It's familiar, with the crescents and stars hidden amongst the tendrils of purple wisps.

Their hands are pink and transparent. It's odd, and Ava can see the vague outlines of bones.

They shudder and continue walking.

Blocks that Ava might have played with as a child litter the floor and tower up into the darkness. It's terrifying.

Ava finally comes across Wrathia, who is sprawled across several ornate looking pillows, dolls of many forms surrounding the floor.

Candles flicker dangerously as their feet wander closer.

"Ah, so you've finally made it." Wrathia purrs, turning so she can look at Ava better. "It took you long enough."

"Nice to see you too, Wrathia." Ava drawls, sitting on one of the pillows with some grace that Ava didn't know they had in them.

Wrathia sneers, her face contorting into a harsh image of queenly wrath, much like her name implies. "Your sarcasm is not appreciated. Now listen. We need to discuss plans."

Ava sighs and pulls their dress down a little bit, adjusting it and making sure she at least imitates Wrathia's lazy grace.

"Talk." Ava demands, and Wrathia blinks. Then she laughs like she's seen her most hated enemies all die in equally horrific ways.

"Oh, silly sweet darling... you don't make demands here." She cackles, her molten skin cracking and blistering with the heat of a roaring wildfire.

Ava scowls, their eyes glittering gold for a split second while they remember that, they don't know where they are. "Says who?"

"I say it, you blabbering _child_." Wrathia hisses, magma bubbling out of her skin and eyes, fury in tangible form. "This may be your mind but I am still a resident of this cursed place."

"My _mind_?!" Ava shrieks, standing up instantly. Their skin is dark red, shapes of wilted poppies blooming into being around their feet. "You just forced us to meet in my _mind, and you make it so you have control?_ " Ava's eyes are blood red, rage and injustice blistering and festering.

"You made this pact, Ava, so you have to take consequences." Wrathia snips back, breathing out more purple smoke with angry pointed shapes hidden, a promise and a threat.

Ava sits back down on a poppy-patterned pillow, their skin slowly changing back to the unhealthy milky tone they had before. Ava's anger is simmering beneath the surface, but they can and will hide it long enough to have a somewhat civil conversation with the demon.

"Now then," Wrathia mutters, her mood affected by the heavy and thick magma slowly and threateningly dripping gently out of the drawers. She's hesitant now. "Let's get to discussing our haphazard plan."

Wrathia wipes away the magma, and tells Ava some more about her story.

Ava is given a thick tome, a half soul, and a confidence drainer, the weight of the duty of defeating the universe's most powerful overlord grabbing at their heart and tearing through like paper.

They're sent back to the real world with a drawer in their chest and a heavy feeling in their skull. It feels like there's magma dripping out of her eyes.

One glance at the mirror and Ava knows it's the truth.


	3. pale smoke

Ava cracks their knuckles in class, their eyes glinting with cockiness or maybe challenge. (It's Wrathia taking charge now, as Ava is still nervous.) Hair swept up into a beautiful braided bun, there's a pin in it. that Wrathia made for her, a tiny weapon if she needed it. The key shines in the bluish light with a bronze glow, strange considering the lighting.

Starting school was hard, but under Wrathia's influence it's gone over well.

Maggie still hates their guts, but her hair is bright green now, a blatant 'fuck you' to the school, and probably Ava too.

(Ava still misses the girl. It's hard to cope with the loss of your love.)

The teacher averts her gaze, flustered under the defiant stare that Ava is giving.

Being older really is a bit easier, but it's shown no real difference to Ava themself.

The bell rings and Ava calmly walks out, their eyes fading into red and yellow as Wrathia guides their body. Ava's suffering from mild panic, as eye contact is still a no.

Both of them make it to the room, and Ava's body falls to the floor.

"I hate school." Ava mutters, pulling the pin and hairtie out, hating how there's nothing to cover their ears.

Wrathia has explained impatiently, many times, that the hair and the casual indifference act is to make people like them, to manipulate the people into helping them complete this pact of theirs.

Ava gets ready for bed again, forgoing food. Food isn't all that important anymore, they just live off of some energy in the air and maybe some water and some sweet things.

Collapsing on the blue tinted bed, Ava sleeps.

Drifting into the mindscape, Ava brushes off their pajamas before walking down the now familiar path. Over the past few weeks, Ava and Wrathia have worked on cleaning up the clutter. Blocks are now safely stowed in drawers, and the floor has channels burned into it to help the lava flow safer.

Wrathia is bathing in a pool of scorching hot magma again, the molten slag pooling sluggishly around the vengess' shoulders.

Ava dips their limbs in, quietly enjoying the heat. It's easy to relax in this place now.

"So, Ava." Wrathia snips, opening her goat-slit eyes. "What was that little panic attack that happened a few minutes ago? Are you really that incompetent around people?"

The lava swallows Ava whole as they duck into it. Their ears are burning.

"Ava, I know you can hear me." Wrathia hisses, her nails clicking terribly loud on a nearby rock. "I need to know why you do this."

"So you can fix me?" Ava mumbles as they drift back up, their brows furrowing in irritation. "I just... seeing the judgement in their eyes... it's not okay. I panic at eye contact, and I can't handle touch. And besides, everyone acts like I can understand emotions properly."

Wrathia blinks, the flutter of golden-red eyelashes flickering gently.

"Oh." Wrathia raises a single clawed finger up to her lips, which are pursed in (for once) gentle contemplation.

The vengess hums a confirmation, mostly to herself, before talking again. "You act like a servant I once had."

Ava's attention snaps to Wrathia, as stories about the past empress life she lived were rare. It was always interesting to know how the fallen empire had worked.

"My servant... Niela Mornenia, I believe... she was a rare sort of creature." Wrathia blew smoke off her hands again, powder blues and muted pinks melding into a form, a dragon-like woman with longer hair than Wrathia's.

"She was a drakov.. a type of distantly, genetically related vengess who took after your human dragons." The smoke figure pursed her lips with a smile, the little horns on her head poking through cotton soft hair. "She took after me very well. Constantly sought after, too. However, she acted odd... had a condition. She only took interest in a few things, and didn't understand emotions quite right."

The smoke shifted into an image of Niela with the ends of her hair turning to pure thin smoke, the gentle warm inviting pinks flaring into bright neon anger as the smoke form of Niela raged and ranted.

"She melted down a lot. She also had a habit of describing people in beautiful, wonderous ways." Ava rubbed their thumb, a habit they had gotten into. The traits that were being described resonated deeply.

Wrathia huffed, a smile worming it's way onto angular cheeks. "She described me as dipping your toes into lava, the sun, the distant clouds turning red, fire and blood, and raising your hands to the stars."

Ava snorted. "Sounds like you were fond of her."

The smoke figure vanished, and Wrathia sighed loudly. "I suppose she was a good servant. She took care of my heir quite well when I was busy."

Wrathia sunk back into the lava, her hair sprawling out behind her and cascading down the drawer edge. "I gave her cursed wine as well... I hoped she would be able to find me but I suppose... for once in my life.." Wrathia paused. "I was wrong."

The vengess shut her eyes. Ava turned away.

Pale sky blue smoke drifted past Ava's nose, and their attention snapped to an open space between drawers.

Stepping out of the slag, Ava peeked round a corner, and there was only a half open drawer, with all the smoke wisping out of it.

Wandering closer to the door, Ava could smell strawberries and grapefruit. It was intoxicating. It made for a strong as hell headache though.

Going in, the hard but warm wood floor shifted to a soft purple grass that gave way under their feet as they trampled across it, waist high but it was easy to go through.

Their headache worsened but the curiosity burned brighter. Smoke trailed across the place, wreathing patterns around Ava's head, a miasma of sweet scents and sadness.

Incense cones and sticks burned all over the place, sitting on the few rocks and boulders on the plains.

It was a plain, a wide expanse of grass with one or two trees, a few huge rocks, and smoke hovering in the sky like a wildfire might be nearby.

There's a plume of more prominent smoke, coming from a while away.

Humming whisks through the air, a rough but pleasing noise on Ava's ears.

The plume comes from a fireplace in an open area, where the grass has been cut in a tear drop shape, starting from the fireplace.

"Oh." Ava wheeled around, their eyes opening in startled panic.

Niela, looking decidedly more solid, was stooped in a bow, a silken dress billowing in an unseen wind. The purple grass shifted and the pale sky shifted to a reverent star-spattered sky.

"Wrathia. My pleasure to have finally seen you again." Niela droned, a raspy but pleasing voice. The drakov vengess straightened, her blank empty sclera glimmering in amusement. Comfortingly enough, Niela avoided looking directly at Ava's eyes.

"I'm.. I'm not Wrathia." Ava stuttered, taking a step back, not in fear, but in respect for personal space. "My name is Ava. I'm her host..?"

Niela shut her eyes and huffed out a puff of smoke through her nose, the powder blue swirling like a haze around her head. "You're lost, aren't you."

"Y-yes. I am."

"Niela?" A voice trembled from behind Ava, and Ava whirled around again, only to meet the eyes of a trembling blonde boy. "Who's this?"

"Another host." The drakov's smile widened, a genuine one. "Ava, is her name." Ava winced. They didn't feel like being called a she today.

The blonde pressed his lips together. "Get her out."

"I'm not a girl-" Ava protested, but their words died in their throat as Niela sighed and blew some colourless smoke into their face, making their body collapse.

Ava wakes up on the floor.

* * *

 **a/n: if you didn't figure it out both Niela and Ava are autistic! (niela is an oc, yes)**


End file.
